As soon as Shang Yunruo finished speaking, she knew she had said the wrong thing. She quickly pursed her lips and pretended to drink tea to hide her inner uneasiness.
After a moment, she calmed down and changed the subject, explaining, "I was just joking. Don't be angry about what I just said."
Chu Yan countered, "Which words shouldn't I be angry about?"
Unable to change the subject, Shang Yunruo had to answer honestly, "... the one about you looking like a top courtesan."
Chu Yan didn't seem to care. He stared at her intently and said, "What about the one about being in your dream?"
Shang Yunruo: "..."
She tried to justify her thoughtless words. "It was that day in the western suburbs. The night I got back, I dreamed about you and your brother. I dreamed that we went on an outing again. The weather was sunny and pleasant in the dream, not stormy like that day. We had a great time."
After saying that, she secretly gave herself a thumbs - up for coming up with such a perfect excuse.
Chu Yan seemed to believe her. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Sister - in - law, what exactly do you like about my brother?"
This question was indeed a bit overstepping the mark, but Shang Yunruo didn't really regard Chu Yan as a younger brother. She thought carefully for a while and answered the question seriously.
"I met Jinli at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. That day, my dress got caught on a tree branch in the garden. He patiently helped me untangle the hem of my skirt."
Chu Yan's eyes twitched slightly. Before he could say anything, a woman's voice rang out, "Yunruo? You're here for tea too?"
Chu Yan looked up and saw a gracefully - dressed woman speaking to Shang Yunruo with a surprised look on her face. Since he was still dressed as a servant, he stood up with Chuyao and stood aside with his head down.
Shang Yunruo knew who it was just by the voice. This Princess Pingyang was truly domineering. She got married more than a month earlier than Shang Yunruo and was now the eldest daughter - in - law of the Duke Rong's Mansion.
They had grown up together as playmates. They were all daughters of noble families, with big tempers and a touch of arrogance. They would quarrel while playing, but it didn't affect their closeness when they met next time.
Shang Yunruo also smiled and affectionately reached out to hold her hand, calling her by her childhood name, "Rongyue."
Chuyao stepped forward to pour tea for the two of them. Unnoticed by others, Chu Yan stood idly by and quietly retreated to the railing, half - leaning on it in a leisurely posture.
Suddenly, a very soft sound came from above Chu Yan's head. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly. The sound came from the eaves of the teahouse. "Brother Yan, what are you thinking about?"
Chu Yan was not surprised by Yin Shan's sudden appearance, but he was surprised by his increasing level of gossiping.
However, Yin Shan was really sensitive. Chu Yan was indeed thinking about something.
He was also there on the day when Shang Yunruo said she first met Chu Jinli.
Maybe the trees in the imperial garden weren't trimmed well that day. The dresses of the noble ladies got caught everywhere. Chu Jinli helped four or five noble ladies untangle their skirt hems one after another, and Shang Yunruo was just one of them.
Just for this reason, she insisted on marrying him. How ridiculous and stupid!
Chu Yan's lips moved slightly, and his voice was so soft that only Yin Shan on the eaves could hear it. "I'm thinking about how there could be such a silly person. It was just an unintentional act from someone else, but she takes it as special favor."
Yin Shan: "Brother, I won't allow you to say that about yourself."
Chu Yan: "?"
Yin Shan: "Shang Yunruo saved you. It's normal for you to be deeply touched and remember it. Don't call yourself silly."
Chu Yan closed his eyes and casually flicked out the peanut he had just grabbed but not eaten.
With a muffled groan, Yin Shan was hit and fled. A tile from the eaves fell and shattered on the ground, startling everyone to look over.
Chu Yan pretended to be surprised and looked around, then turned around and said, "A cat."
Princess Pingyang put her hand on her chest and looked in that direction. Her eyes fell on Chu Yan. She whispered in Shang Yunruo's ear, "Where did you find that servant? He's quite handsome. How about giving him to me?"
Shang Yunruo pouted. "You still want to steal my man. Be careful, or I'll tell your Duke Mu."
Princess Pingyang clicked her tongue and angrily flung her sleeve as she stood up. "You're so stingy. Shang Yunruo, don't come to me when you're short of a card - playing partner in the future."
Shang Yunruo calmly smiled and sipped her tea, ignoring her as she huffed and left downstairs.
She asked Chuyao to settle the bill and said to Chu Yan, "Let's go. Let's meet the next shopkeeper. This time, I'll try to delay as much as possible so that you can remember more."
Chu Yan's mind was still stuck on her words "my man". The corner of his mouth twitched for a moment. He walked over and said, "Sister - in - law, you should disguise yourself too. I'm afraid the boss of the silk store has gone to find out your identity by now."
Shang Yunruo's heart sank. She had overlooked this point. She quickly stood up and said, "Then let's hurry up."
---
Shang Yunruo also changed into a coarse cloth gown and wore a veil and a bamboo hat to hide the fact that she had an eye injury as much as possible.
When they arrived at the jewelry store, Shang Yunruo asked Chuyao to wait outside and went in with Chu Yan.
There weren't many customers in the jewelry store, but there were even fewer shop assistants. She and Chu Yan stood in the main hall for a long time, but no one paid any attention to them.
The two were strolling around the store when suddenly an arrogant voice came from the private room. "I don't care how much it costs. Just charge it to Xue Ning'an's account, but the goods must be of high quality."
The shopkeeper quickly flattered, "You're a noble guest from the Earl's Mansion. The quality for you will naturally be the best!"
The door was suddenly pushed open and almost hit Shang Yunruo.
Chu Yan was quick - witted. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side, then wrapped his arm around her to protect her so that she wouldn't fall and get hurt.
That arrogant voice sneered, "Where did this poor couple come from? Blocking the door!"
"Who are you talking about?"
Chu Yan stared intently and spoke in a deep voice, completely different from his usual well - behaved and innocent appearance. There was a hint of intimidation in his tone.
The woman shivered a little when she heard Chu Yan's question. Then she came to her senses and angrily said to the shopkeeper behind her.
"Shopkeeper, if you do business with just anyone, I won't buy anything anymore. It'll lower my class!"
The shopkeeper looked at the coarse cloth clothes on the two of them and shouted, "Zhuo Xin, throw these two out!"
Chu Yan stood Shang Yunruo behind him and blocked in front. With a cold face, he said word by word, "Who dares to move?"
At the shopkeeper's shout, three or four shop assistants came over. They were all more burly than Chu Yan.
But Chu Yan was calm and imposing. "Guests should be treated well. Is this how you do business, shopkeeper?"
There was a young shop assistant beside the shopkeeper. He was tall and thin, with regular and fair features. He stared at Chu Yan for a while and whispered to the shopkeeper, "I think these two have an extraordinary air about them. Let me serve them."
The shopkeeper looked at him suspiciously. The woman standing behind him wasn't happy. "Shopkeeper, where did you hire this shop assistant? These two rude people offended a noble guest, and you still want to serve them! Let me make it clear. If you serve them, I won't come here again."
The shop assistant looked back at her and said calmly, "Miss Yang, be magnanimous. Maybe one of them is a noble guest you can't afford to offend. Leave some leeway for others..."
Before he could finish speaking, the woman called Miss Yang interrupted loudly. A clumsy shop assistant rushed forward, probably trying to curry favor, and tried to drag them out.
Chu Yan took off the jade pendant on his body, held it between his fingers, and hid it in his sleeve. He threw it out the moment the man rushed over.
The clumsy shop assistant let out an "ouch" and fell to the ground, covering his head and howling in pain.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper took a step back and shouted at the top of his voice, "How dare you! Catch these two troublemakers and beat them hard!"
"Shopkeeper Wu, quickly put away the ledger. That Shang Yunruo..."
Mrs. He's voice came from afar. When she got closer, she was so shocked by the scene in front of her that she swallowed the second half of her sentence and almost bit her tongue.
"Shang... Yunruo?"
The shopkeeper and Miss Yang:?